Wednesday, May 30, 2007

There’s a strange story going on here…. John Carter (Carter/ lewis, Ivy League, First Class etc…) and some session guys recorded and then had a continental hit using the name Kincade with Dreams Are Ten A Penny in 1972.Only there was no band…so the label got a guy called John Knowles to front the release, but he was soon replaced by members from Octopus to mime the song on TV. Things then start to get complicated as John Knowles reappeared releasing singles under the name John Kincade while John Carter continued putting out singles as Kincade with both acts being on Penny Farthing!

Anyhow Mo’Reen is a strange beast indeed with a cool mix of acoustic guitar, handclaps and its nasal vocal performance. The arrangement and production is remarkable throughout with its out there Roy Wood/T. Rex string part and bizarre orchestration; the sound really sucks you in. I would like to know more about the lineup here –There’s a compilation CD of Kincade stuff released, can anyone share the information perhaps contained in the liner notes?

Monday, May 28, 2007

Some may call it madness… I accept that this record collecting lark is a tad obsessive, but it’s not harming anyone… although my carbon footprint has enlarged considerably driving a 200 mile round trip from London to the Reading Record Fair onto the one in Stratford Upon Avon (Billy Shake?) and back again. The results? Well 7 singles for £9 including this one.

Rescue Co. No. 1 were a vehicle for the songwriting partnership of Arnold/Martin/Morrow and they released a slew of singles on Pye, Rak, DJM and Jam (including the brilliant I Want To Save You). It’s Only Words is harder hitting and heavier than most of their other more pop orientated releases and has a real ‘67 Freakbeat feel to it. The track holds back from an all out attack on the senses, but the tension builds and the Spooky Hammond at the end is a nice touch adding to the overall atmosphere.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A rare 70s outing by ex Move man Ace Kefford. The autobiographical Over The Hill is a solid rocker on the periphery of JunkShop Glam, Kinda like Hector attempting to do a Quadrophenia...It features some loud cutting guitar and a fine production by Steve Rowland. Mummy is pretty haunting and dramatic, the song builds and builds and is a real grower. These two tracks are compiled along with other tracks on the Ace The Face CD. http://www.acekefford.com/

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Here’s a little something to dance away the weekend. This single Seems to have been the follow up to Muff's Sexy Sexy Lady (Bell 1380) and once more the A side is a fun piece of commercial Glam fodder, but the B side is just so wonderfully inept. There seems to be more than a slight tempo conflict going on here and the crunching handclaps/foot stomps are lagging behind the beat (it’s also rare to have Glitter handclaps on the on-beat). The effect is just bizarre and you would have to be a real Discotheque King to be able to gyrate seamlessly to this one…

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Cardinal Point were a bunch ex-pat Italians living in Holland. They released an album and a few singles, but of all the tracks I’ve heard; this is the one that really stands out for me. Produced by Hans Van Hemert and co-written Piet Souer (Mouth & McNeal, Dump etc…) this is a work of pure folly. The track has pre-Bohemian Rhapsody pretensions albeit with platform boots firmly stuck in a waste-management centre and the twist and turns cemented by the stomping beat makes this a single to seek out and cherish. It’s quite readily available on the Internet and cheap to boot!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Dog Rose were Dave Johnson –Lead Guitar, Rowley Henley-Jones –Rhythm Guitar, John Amis –Bass Guitar and Andy Hunter on Drums. They are perhaps slightly better known for their All For The Love Of CityLights single that appeared on the Glitterbest comp(RPM). Paradis Row as stated in the press release is “a happy, bouncy, sunshine song” which is a pretty accurate description. The B side is a cool Junkshop Jug band number and features some cooking lead guitar. Dog Rose also released an album –All For The Love Of Dog Rose, but it remains, as yet, unheard by these ears…

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Good and strong 2-sider from Richmond. They also had an album out on Dart and at least one more single. I saw a mention that the album was folk, but this single, at least, is as far from folk as could be. Peaches is a medium-paced Glam cracker highlighted by some screeching dual Watkins Copicat delayed lead guitar. The catchy tune is a bit like one of those slower Glitter Band numbers and will surely ingrain itself into your brain. The B side ups the tempo and is a solid Boogie/Glam workout again with some great loud guitar chops.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Cheek –Do You Have A Soul?/ Take Me For What I’m Worth/ So Much In Love/ Still In Love –Voxx VEP-3002 (1980 US issue)

Powerpop Purveyors is what is says on the back cover and this is exactly what Cheek do… Do You Have A Soul? is an incredibly powerful remake of The Easybeats tune and with Vanda &Young producing it’s a remarkable update adding more than a hint of the AC/DC thud. ROCK!!!! It’s loud and so very good - exactly what Power Pop should be. This EP was put out by Greg Shaw’s Voxx label in the US and collects their two Aussie singles (was there more?). P.F Sloan’s Take Me For What I’m worth is a great song to cover, but it doesn’t quite come off. So Much In Love is the Jagger/Richards/Mighty Avengers track and the lone original Still In Love is OK, but how could anything follow that cracking opening number without being an anti-climax?

Friday, May 04, 2007

First things first –these guys look nothing like the way they sound. Sure the singer is probably pouting to the max between sputtering out his Jaggerisms, but the track starts off like some mutant spastic skiffle (Thanks C) and then finds itself in some weird place where the earthy bluesy slide guitar base is suplemented by a sprinkling of Glam and a touch of Dumb Punk for good measure. No clue or information on these guys…apart from being sponsored by Himalaya Oriental Beauty Products and being dressed by Club De France…

Hopefully Jos or others can fill us in on who these guys are? And what ever happened to Astrid Niels?

Ain’t That Livin’ is a crunchy Glamster that sits somewhere between Suzi Quatro and (the Dutch) Heart –The tune is not stupendous, but as one Euro online trader would say: "It has all the 70s GLAM and GLITTER spices we all love” (sic)

Bombadil –Breathless/When The City Sleeps –Harvest 5056 (1972 UK)

Bombadil are in fact Barclay James Harvest but it sounds more like Chicory Tip guesting with T. Rex on a backing track where they couldn’t be bothered to write any lyrics. It has a fine groove with neat Bolanesque guitar and chugs along very nicely indeed. It’s a bit of a mystery how this single came about though…

HiI've been a bit under the cosh recently with other commitments but I've also been drowning in new single purchases. Must have picked up over 20 singles at the London and Brighton record fairs, plus numerous online purchases...I'll catch up over the next few days with new reviews -starting tonightOn Monday I'll be listing some choice singles on ebay...watch this spaceAll the bestRobin

Reviews of tasty and obscure hook-filled rock'n' roll releases (Glam, Heavy Bonehead Crunchers, Powerpop, Pop/psych,Garage, Surf, 60s Girl Group Rock)...Plus any quirky musings that tickle my fancy...
I created this blog in order to stimulate interest, share discoveries and encourage people to go out and search for the original vinyl. Hopefully this blog might also encourage labels to actually compile some of this stuff officialy.